Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Monday evening after spending six days in Lagos, concluding a visit that was defined by his Independence Day address, the premiere of a documentary honouring the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, and a courtesy visit to the Oba of Lagos.
The Presidency announced the President’s departure in a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Lagos for Abuja this evening after his six-day visit to the former seat of government,” Onanuga said. The President arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, after completing his annual vacation in London and Paris. Rather than returning directly to Abuja, he remained in Lagos for a series of official and political engagements, a decision that aligned with the Presidency’s earlier announcement that he would mark Independence Day in the commercial capital.
The centerpiece of the visit was Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast on Thursday, October 1, 2026, marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. In the address, the President defended his administration’s economic reforms, acknowledged the hardship Nigerians continue to face, and insisted that the removal of the petrol subsidy and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market were necessary steps toward stabilising the economy. The broadcast was delivered in Lagos rather than Abuja, a break from the traditional practice of addressing the nation from the State House, and it underscored the President’s decision to spend the anniversary in the former seat of government.
Later that same day, Tinubu attended the national premiere of MKO, a feature-length documentary on the life, political struggle and legacy of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. The film, directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, chronicles Abiola’s business and publishing career, his victory in the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, and the pro-democracy movement that followed. The premiere was held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu, Lagos, and drew a cross-section of government officials, cultural figures and dignitaries. Tinubu’s presence at the event carried personal and political significance, given his own involvement in the pro-democracy struggle as a senator elected on the Social Democratic Party platform in 1992 and his subsequent role in the National Democratic Coalition. The documentary also served as a reminder of the democratic sacrifices that preceded the current electoral cycle, with the 2027 general elections less than four months away.
On Sunday, October 4, the President paid a courtesy visit to the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu, at the historic Iga Iduganran Palace on Lagos Island. The visit drew large crowds of Lagosians to the Marina and Isale Eko areas, and the Oba offered royal prayers and counsel to the President. The engagement was widely reported, with images and videos of the President and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu greeting the monarch circulating widely on social media. The visit underscored the President’s continued engagement with traditional institutions, a constituency that has become increasingly significant in the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.
The President’s decision to remain in Lagos for six days was not merely ceremonial. Lagos is Nigeria’s commercial capital and a key political battleground, and the President’s presence there provided an opportunity for engagements that extended beyond the public events. The Presidency did not disclose the full details of the President’s private meetings, but his itinerary included consultations with political leaders and associates as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify. The President’s return to Abuja is expected to be followed by a meeting with members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, potentially as early as this week, to address the dispute over the FCT Minister’s Rainbow Coalition, which has divided the ruling party’s support base.
The visit also came amid heightened scrutiny of the President’s public engagements following his extended working vacation in Europe, which had kept him out of the country for about four weeks. During that period, Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York and led the administration’s engagements at home. The President’s return to Lagos on September 29 was his first appearance on Nigerian soil since August 30, and his decision to spend six days in Lagos before returning to Abuja allowed him to re-engage with the political and cultural life of the country’s commercial nerve centre.
The political context of the visit is significant. The 2027 general elections are scheduled for January 16, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the All Progressives Congress platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. The President’s Lagos itinerary, combining national commemoration, cultural celebration and traditional engagement, reflects a deliberate effort to connect with multiple constituencies as the campaign season intensifies.
For Nigerians, the President’s return to Abuja marks the resumption of governance from the seat of power. The coming weeks will determine whether the momentum generated by his Lagos engagements translates into tangible progress on the economic and security challenges that continue to dominate public discourse, and whether the political realignments that have defined the pre-election period can be managed without further fragmentation within the ruling party. As Onanuga put it, the President has concluded his six-day visit to the former seat of government and will depart Lagos for Abuja this evening. The visit, defined by Independence Day, the MKO documentary and the visit to the Oba of Lagos, has now come to an end, and the President returns to the capital with the country’s full political calendar ahead of him.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments